But when the time comes to trade his jersey for a suit and tie, he'll be better prepared for a bench job after Tuesday's announcement that he'll be a player-assistant coach this season for the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets.

“I wish I could play forever, but I realize some day my playing days are going to come to an end,” said the 33-year-old centre from Blenheim. “This is a good opportunity to help me transition and learn the ropes.”

Schaafsma is going into his second season with the Komets and 13th in pro hockey.

Schaafsma jokingly suggested being a player-coach during a chat with head coach Gary Graham after Shafranov left. That's when Graham said he'd already been in touch with the front office.

“I said, 'What about me being Reggie Dunlop?', just kind of as a joke,” said Schaafsma, referring to the Charleston Chiefs' player-coach in the movie Slap Shot. “And he said, 'Actually we've been talking about it.'”

Job details are still being ironed out, but Schaafsma looks forward to helping Graham prepare for games and practices. He expects to watch a lot of video.

“Right now I'm just excited about the opportunity and eager to get going and learn,” he said.

Schaafsma will still be in the lineup every game. Playing takes priority over coaching.

“I'm still playing, so first and foremost is still my job to be captain of the team and worry about my on-ice game,” he said.

Schaafsma has a wealth of playing experience. He won three straight championships with the Allen Americans – two in the Central Hockey League and one in the ECHL – before joining the Komets in 2015-16.

He played in a league final in seven straight years from 2009-15 – three in Italy, two in the CHL, one in the ECHL and one in the International Hockey League – and won four titles. He was the CHL playoff MVP in 2014.

He played for the Netherlands at the IIHF Division I world championships from 2007 to '09.

Schaafsma already has a 'C' on his jersey as the Komets' captain. He laughed at the idea of adding another letter as a player-coach.

“That would be hilarious, a little 'PC,' ” he said.

Schaafsma had 39 points in 70 games last season and tied for 15th in the ECHL with 25 goals.

He helped the Komets to a berth in the Western Conference final.

They have a good locker-room filled with mature players, he said, so being a player and coach shouldn't make things awkward. He'll continue to be the same leader he's always been.

“Socially and in the dressing room, I feel like I've done a good job to be a teammate and I get along with everyone,” he said.

He hopes pulling double duty with the Komets will lead to more coaching offers down the road.

“I was kind of grateful they offered me that opportunity, especially an organization like this and in this league,” he said.